Sony had made another move to the Japanese e-reader market in 2007, but it had pulled out due to a lack of content.

Sony's e-readers will face the competition from
Apples iPad and Sharp's Galapagos.

Sony teamed up with KDDI Corp, Toppan Printing Co and the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in May to create the electronic book distribution business from which the online store will source books.

The new firm, booklista Co., will create an open platform that
allows digital reader manufacturers and content owners such as
publishers to set up online bookstores by offering various
services such as collecting and digitalizing contents and
offering certification and billing systems, Sony, KDDI Corp.,
Toppan Printing Co. and Asahi Shimbun Co. said.

The company is designed to handle various kinds of content, including literature, business books and essays, and plans to expand coverage to manga, newspapers and magazines, they said.